Eyelash applicator



May 29, 1934. wlLLs 1,960,687

EYELASH APPLICATOR v Filed May 7, 1932 ETTUFNEYS.

Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relates to a device for applying artificial eyelashes tov the natural eyelashes.

An object and feature of my invention is an instrument which is adapted to grip a strip of artificial eyelashesiattachedto-a ribbon or narrow attachingband, which attaching band may be severed from the eyelash hairs and'these hairs cemented-to the patients natural eyelashes.

Another object and feature of my construction is the employment of a forceps type of device having a pair of pivoted; handles each with their own blade, one of these blades forming a support for the artificial eyelashes. andthe other forming a holding blade for holding the artificial lashes to the natural lashes while they are being cemented. In'addition to this pair of blades operated. directly by the handles I- employ a retaining blade for retainingthe strip of artificial, eyelashes on the supporting blade prior to the cementing operation.

Another object andafeatureof my inventionis a constructionv by which the three. blades may be manipulated'by the two handles, these being of a scissors type. To effect this the'supporting and holding blades are directly connected to'the'handles and the retaining bladeis connected to one of the handles bya resilient strip'or a spring. A cam secured to one of the arms of the forceps is utilized to lift the retaining blade fromthe supporting blade for'the insertion of the strip of artificial eyelashes and then on. wider opening of the jaws to release this retaining blade which, due to the resilience of its supporting arm. isretracted to firmly clamp the-eyelash strip.

In connection with theconstruction of the cam for operating the retaining blade I have a limit device which restricts the opening or spreading apart of the jaws.

Another object and feature of my invention-relates to the respective shapes of the supporting, the retaining, and the holding blade. The supporting blade is curved inthree directions. This is preferably made of a sheet material and has a concave curve to cause this to conform to the normal line of the upper eyelashes when the eye is open. It has a concave curved edge to. conform to the convex curvature of the eyeball and the upper surface has. a slight concave curve to conform to and give the artificial eyelashes an upward curl. The retaining. blade is formed of an arcuate strip of wire or the like adapted to fit on the upper curved surface of the supporting blade. This is preferably covered with rubber to make a resilient grip. The holder blade preferably attach'ed to the upper arm of the forceps is curved to conform, to the convexity of the eyeball and has a concave curve to correspond, with the curve of the edge of the supporting blade.

Myinvention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation with the three blades spaced apart and showing the insertion of the eyelash strip.

Fig. 2 is an elevation with the retaining blade released to engage the strip of artificial eyelashes on the supporting blade.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the forceps illustrating part of theeye in diagram, showing the three blades in contact for the cementing operation.

Fig. 4 is a plan of the forceps taken in the di- Til rection of the arrow 4. of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is an end view taken in the direction of the arrow 6 of Fig. 1..

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the eyelash strip.

In my invention I employ a forceps which may be considered as having an upper handle 11 which has a lower arm 12 and a supporting blade 13. The lower handle 14 may be considered as hav- 0 ing an. upper arm 15 and a holding blade 16 attached thereto. These arms have knuckles 17 connected by a pintle 18.

The supporting blade 13, as above mentioned, is formed of sheet metal, and preferably has 8 the arm 12 attached to the under surface at substantially the center as indicated at 19. This blade has a concave curve 20 shown in end elevation (note Fig. 6) to conform to the shape of the eyelid when the eye is open. It also has a concave edge 21 (note Fig. 4.) to conform to the convex curvature of the eyeball. This blade has a central portion 22 which is designed to accommodate the artificial eyelashes. The con vex curved section 23 is to receive the end of the artificial eyelashes if these are extremely long.

The strip of artificial eyelashes designated 24 and indicated in Fig. '7 has a ribbon 25 to which the individual hairs 26 are attached. These hairs are given a slight upward curl as indicated at 27. In Fig. 1 the strip is illustrated as being inserted on the supporting blade.

A retaining blade designated 29 is formed of an arcuate wire or strip 30 preferably covered with a rubber tube or covering 31-. This strip has a resilient arm 32 secured to the strip. This arm is formed of two wires 33 attached by welding or the like as indicated at 34 to. the upper 1 0 2 handle 11. The wires 33 pass on opposite sides of the arm 15 of the holding blade 16.

The means for opening and permitting closing of the retaining blade 29 comprises a cam structure 35. This is formed of a wire yoke 36 having a reverse bend at 37 attached to the arm 15 of the retaining blade. Sharply spaced sections 38 form a cam for engaging the wires 33. Below the spreading sections 38 there are two depending ends 39,- one of which has a hooked curl 40 to form a limit to the downward movement of the lower arm 12.

In the operation of the retaining blade, on slightly opening the handles the arms 12 and 15 are spread apart, thus spacing the supporting blade 13 and the holding blade 16; and on account of the wires 33 engaging on the upper surface of the cam section 38 the resilient arm 32 is bent upwardly, lifting the retaining blade 29 clear of the supporting blade. This allows the insertion of the strip of artificial eyelashes as indicated in Fig. 1.

On further spreading the handles apart the arms 12 and 15 are spaced to a greater extent until the resilient wires 33 are pushed sideways and slip over the spacing cam 38. Then the resilient character of this arm 32 springs the retaining blade 29 into contact with the artificial eyelash strip as illustrated in Fig. 2. With a pair of scissors of proper shape this strip may e trimmed, and a suitable gum or adhesive is spread on the hairs of the artificial eyelashes. The forceps are then brought adjacent the eye of the patient and the natural eyelashes are brought down by the patient either partly closing his eye or the supporting blade being lifted upwardly until the natural eyelashes rest on top of the hairs of the artificial eyelash, this with the jaws in the position of Fig. 2. The holding blade 16 is then brought from the positions of Fig. 2 to Fig. 3 by squeezing the handles together. This then clamps the natural and the artificial eyelashes on the supporting blade 13 and they are held on this blade until the gum or cement sets so that the artificial hairs are attached to the natural eyelash hairs. The line of gumming or attachment should be close to the flesh of the eyelid so that the line of gumming or adhesive will not be noticeable. After the gum is set the handles may be spaced apart, thus opening all of the jaws to release the natural and the artificial eyelashes.

In order to prevent the gum or cement from sticking to the supporting and holding jaws it is advisable to coat these with a substance to prevent such sticking, such as soapstone or equivalent material.

The cam structure 35 is double acting in that the projecting hubs or spaced sections 38, when the handles are spread apart, lift the arm 32 of the retaining blade, and on such arms overriding these nubs the retaining blade engages the supporting blade. When the handles are brought together as in the position of Fig. 3 the nubs first act to increase the pressure of the retaining blade on the supporting blade until the wires 33 override these nubs, which slip upwardly beside the arm 15, the strip of eyelashes then being held by the resilient action of the arm 32.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An eyelash applicator comprising a forceps having a pair of handles each with a jaw connected thereto, the lower jaw being a supporting jaw and shaped to conform to the natural eyelashes when the eye is open, a holding blade shaped to engage the natural eyelashes and an artificial eyelash strip and hold these on the supporting blade.

2. An eyelash applicator as claimed in claim 1, a resiliently mounted retaining blade with means to actuate said blade during the manipulation of the handles to permit insertion of the eyelash strip between the supporting and the retaining blade and to retain such strip in such position prior to engagement of the natural eyelashes and the strip by the holding blade.

3. An eyelash applicator comprising a forceps having a supporting blade, a retaining blade to retain a strip of artificial eyelashes on the supporting blade, and a holding blade to hold or clamp the artificial strip and the natural eyelashes while these may be gummed together, both the supporting blade and the holding blade being shaped to conform to the natural eyelashes.

4. An eyelash applicator as claimed in claim 3, the supporting and holding blades each having individual handles, and an operative connection between the retaining blade and the handles of the supporting and holding blades.

5. An eyelash applicator comprising a forceps having a supporting blade, a retaining blade, said retaining blade being adapted to retain a strip of artificial eyelashes on the supporting blade, a holding blade to hold the artificial eyelash strip and the natural eyelashes adjacent the supporting blade while gumming the natural and artificial eyelashes, said retaining blade being connected to and manipulated by the operation of the holding blade.

6. An eyelash applicator as claimed inclaim 5, said forceps having arms connected with the blades, pivoting knuckles, and handles extending from the knuckles, the retaining blade being attached to one of the handles and having an operative connection with one of the arms to manipulate said retaining blade on the opening and closing of saidblades.

7. An eyelash applicator having a forceps with handles with pivoted knuckles, a pair of arms, one arm having a supporting and the other a holding blade, a retaining blade resiliently secured to one of the handles, a cam structure connected to one of the arms to manipulate said retaining blade, the retaining blade being adapted to engage the supporting blade for retaining an artificial eyelash strip thereon and in the opening of the supporting and holding blades to lift by action of the cam from the supportingblade for insertion of such strip.

8. An eyelash applicator as claimed in claim 7, the retaining blade having a resilient arm forming the connection to the handle, and the cam being connected to the arm of the holding blade, said cam initially lifting the retaining blade out of contact with the supporting blade on opening of the supporting and holding blades and then releasing the resilient arm for retraction of the retaining blade to the supporting blade.

9. An eyelash applicator comprising a forceps with a pair of handles, pivoted knuckles, arms opposite the handles, one arm having a supporting and the other a holding blade, a retaining blade having a resilient arm connected to the handle of thesupporting blade, said arm being formed of a pair of wires straddling the arm of the holding blade, the resilient arm being adapted to retract the holding blade into contact with the supporting blade, said cam engaging the resilient arm and elevating the retaining blade on opening of the supporting and holding blades, and on further movement or" said latter blades the cam releasing the resilient blade.

10. An eyelash applicator as claimed in claim 9, said cam being double acting and on bringing the supporting and holding blades into action said cam initially increasing the pressure of the retaining blade on the supporting blade and then releasing the resilient arm to retract the retaining blade on the supporting blade with a predetermined pressure.

11. An eyelash applicator comprising a forceps having a pair of handles with pivoted knuckles, each handle having an arm, a supporting blade on one arm and a holding blade on the other, the supporting blade being shaped to conform to the arch of natural eyelashes when the eye is open and also to conform on its edge to the convex shape of the eyeball, a retaining blade having an arched configuration to conform with that of the supporting blade for retaining an artificial eyelash strip on the supporting blade, a holding blade positioned to operate outside of the retaining blade to hold the natural eyelashes in contact with the artificial strip on the supporting blade, the holding blade having an arched shape and also having a concave edge to conform to the convex shape of the eye.

12. An eyelash applicator as claimed in claim 11, the retaining blade having a resilient cover to engage the artificial eyelash strip having a resilient mounting on one of the handles with means connected to the other handle to operate the retaining blade.

13. An eyelash applicator as claimed in claim 11, the supporting blade having a concave curve from its concave edge on its upper surface, and the retaining blade being shaped to fit on such concave surface to give an upward curl to the artificial eyelashes.

14. An eyelash applicator comprising a forceps having a pair of pivotally connected handles, one having a supporting and the other a holding blade, the supporting blade being arched to conform to the natural eyelashes when the eye is open, the holding blade being adapted to contact with the supporting blade adjacent its outer edge, and a retaining blade resiliently mounted on one of the arms to contact with the supporting blade to retain a strip of artificial eyelashes on such supporting blade.

IRVING WILLS. 

